Roller applicator centrifugal dryer



April 15, 1958 I E. J. wEu.

RoLLER APPLICATOR CENTRIFUGAL DRYER Filed June 28, 1955 glad/Meg] United States Patent ROLLER APPLICATOR CENTRIFUGAL DRYER Emanuel J. Weil, Chicago, lll.

Application June 28, 1955, Serial No. 518,576

4 Claims. (Cl. 34-58) This invention relates to devices for drying roller applicators of the type used for applying paints and the like and more particularly it relates to a roller supporting device for drying such rollers by centrifugal force.

In recent years roller type applicators for applying paints, varnishes, lacquers, and other finishing materials to walls and the like have become increasingly popular and to a large extent have replaced the heretofore widely used paint brushes and the like. These rollers usually comprise a hollow cylindrical core ordinarily made of a composition material. The outer surface of the cylinder has adhered thereto a soft absorbent layer of material such as mohair, lambs wool shearing, or a synthetic ber which in appearance is similar to lambs wool shearing. The roller is usually removably mounted on a spindle or sleeve which in turn is connected by means of a bent member to a handle which protrudes at right angles from a point parallel to the midpoint of the surface of the roller.

In using the roller, the same is usually dipped into a shallow container filled with paint so that the absorbent covering may be saturated with the paint. The paint is then applied to the surface by rolling the paint-saturatedroller thereover.

Although this method of painting has proven to be very satisfactory, nevertheless one of the major objections to the method is the diiculty experienced in removing or cleaning paint from the absorbent surface of the roller. It has been found that merely dipping the roller in a suitable solvent is not sutiicient to clean the same to a degree where it may then be used for applying another color or dierent surface coating. Consequently, heretofore it has been necessary to utilize a number of rollers, one for each color or material being used. Obviously this is most unsatisfactory.

Recognizing the importance of overcoming this objectionable feature, several attempts have been made in recent years to provide means for cleaning such rollers by the application of centrifugal force. Most of these devices have taken the form of hand operated spinning appliances but none of these have proved to be very satisfactory. The principal objections to such devices has been the diculty of properly supporting the roller in such a manner as to permit sufficiently rapid rotation to insure proper cleaning.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide a device adapted to permit rapid and thorough removal of paint from roller type applicators.

Another important object is to provide a supporting device upon which paint rollers may be removably positioned in suitable fashion for rapid rotation of the same.

A further object is to afford a paint roller supporting device having means for connecting the same to a rotating device whereby the roller may be rotated with suicient speed to insure removal of substantially all of the paint material from the surface of the roller by virtue of the exertion thereon of adequate centrifugal force.

Still another object is to afford a supporting device of the character described which is both self-centering and self-leveling, thereby insuring the retention of the roller in a plane conducive to proper rotation of the same.

Still a further object is to provide a centrifugal drying 2,830,383 Patented Apr. l5, 1958 rice device support member for paint rollers which will permit ready positioning and removal of the paint roller on, or from, the support device but which will nevertheless maintain the roller on the device in substantially immovable relationship despite the application of considerable centrifugal force during the operation of the same.

Yet another object is to afford a centrifugal drying device for paint rollers comprising the combination of a supporting device with an electric power tool such as the motor and chuck of an electric drill.

Yet a further object is to provide a centrifugal roller drying device of simple, inexpensive, yet sturdy and most effective construction.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several tigures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view partially in section of a container showing a roller applicator in operational position supported by a device affixed to the chuck of a power tool;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a roller applicator mounted in operational position on a supporting device embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 3 3 in Fig. 2 of the drawings and viewed in the direction indicated; and

Fig. 4 is an end View taken on the plane of line 4 4 in Fig. 2 of the drawings and viewed in the direction indicated.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, reference numeral 10 indicates generally a centrifugal roller-applicator dryer comprising an electric power tool 12 having a chuck 14 for mounting tools such as drills and the like, but which in this case has mounted therein, a roller supporting device indicated generally by reference numeral 16 in Fig. 2 of the drawings. A roller applicator 18 is operationally positioned thereon. The assembly is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings with the applicator 18 positioned in a container such as 20 while the same is being cleaned.

The drying operation is accomplished by merely actuating the electric motor of the power tool 12 thereby rapidly rotating the supporting device 16 with the roller applicator 18 mounted thereon. As the roller applicator 18 is rotated at speeds varying between 1600 and 3000 revolutions per minute, the centrifugal force achieved thereby is sufficient to completely remove in approximately l5 seconds all of the paint which may have adhered to the roller. Maintaining the rotation for a slightly longer period of time will completely dry the surface of the roller of any and all moisture including the paint solvent into which the roller should have been dipped prior to its being spun. It should be apparent that drying by this method enables the operator to change colors in a remarkably short period of time while still using a single applicator for the purpose.

Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be noted that the roller applicator 18 comprises a hollow cylindrical core 22 which affords a central passage 24 therethrough. This core may be made of any suitable material such as wood, metal or the like but in the ernbodiment chosen for illustration, comprises a composition made of wood or paper pulp impregnated with resins orfthe like. The outer surface of the core 22 has adhered thereto a layer of soft absorbent material 26 completely covering the core. This material may be made of any suitable absorbent material, such as lambs wool shearings, mohair and the like but in the embodiment chosen for illustration, comprises a synthetic fiber material commonly known in the trade under the trade name Dynel The novel supporting device 16 which comprises the crux of the invention is formed by assembling a plurality of novel spring fingers 28, 30 and 32 to a straight central shaft 34.` This shaft 34 is designed to protrude from the end of the roller 18 so that it may be positioned in the chunk 14 of the power tool 12 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The spring fingers 28, 30 and 32 are each formed by bending a length of wire to afford outwardly inclined segments such as 36` and 38, said segments liaring out from a central straight portion 40. The ends of segments 36 and 38 are then bent inwardly to afford segments 42 and 44 at each end of the spring fingers. It should be noted that these inwardly bent ends 42 and 44 are bent about a radius'to afford an arcuate curved surface as shown at 46 and 48 in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The function thereof will become apparent as the description proceeds.

i It will be noted that flat segments 40 of the spring fingers may be afxed to a portion of the shaft 34 as by welding or the like. As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, when so positioned it will be noted that the spring finger ends `42 are spaced from the shaft 34 and do not abut the same.

It will further be noted that when the roller supporting device 16 is positioned within the core 22, the only points of contact between the support device and the core are at the points 46 and 48. Since these are arcuate curved surfaces, it can be appreciated that the support device may be readily inserted in the core with the least possible frictional resistance. As it is inserted therein, the spring lingers are compressed inwardly sufficiently to admit the same within the central passageway 24, the resilience of the spring fingers being suicient to maintain satisfactory immovable relationship between the central support device `16 and the roller at the points of contact, namely 46 and 48.

Since the roller is supported only at the two points of Contact of each spring finger and since the spring lingers are equidistantly spaced and self-adjusting, it will be appreciated that the device is self-centering as well as self-leveling. Thus the roller is maintained in the proper plane during the rotation thereof so that no wobbling of the device can taken place during the rotation thereof.

It should further be appreciated that the support device 16 is so constructed that the shaft 34 may be inserted into any other suitable rotating device as, for example, a geared hand drill, or any other manually operated or power driven rotating mechanism.

If desired, the shaft end 34 may be fitted into a handle or adaptor which, in turn may be inserted into a chuck or rotating device of any suitable type.

in connection with any power driven or manually operated rotating mechanism. It should further be appreciated that the device is formed in such a manner that the same may be readily inserted within the central passage of a roller applicator and may be likewise readily removed. However, the support is so designed that the roller may be maintained in operational position in substantially immovable relationship despite the rapid rotation of the same.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a centrifugal drying device for roller applicators of the character described including a rotating member; a central support member comprising means for removably mounting said central support member in said rotating device, and a plurality of flexible spring members capable of removably supporting said roller applicator in substantially immovable operational relationship, said first-mentioned means comprising a central shaft, one end of said shaft protruding beyond the end of said roller applicator when said central support member is operationally positioned in the roller applicator, each of said exible spring members comprise lengths of wire spaced equidistantly about said central shaft, each of said wires having a central at segment affixed to said shaft and integrally formed outwardly-inclined segments, the outer ends of said latter-mentioned segments being spaced from the central shaft.

2. The centrifugal drying device of claim 1 in which the outer end portions of each of said outwardly-inclined segments are obliquely inwardly bent about a radius to afford arcuate contact points.

3. A central support member for supporting hollow roller applicators in centrifugal rotating devices comprising; a central straight shaft having chuck-engaging means at one end thereof, three flexible spring members mounted on said shaft in radiating equidistantly spaced relationship one with the other, each of said members cornprising a straight mid-segment abutting said shaft, outwardly-inclined segments integrally formed at each end of said mid-segment, and the outer end portions of said outwardly-inclined segments obliquely bent inwardly about a radius, the ends of said latter-mentioned segments spaced from said central shaft.

4. In combination with a rotating device comprising an electric motor, a drive shaft rotated by said electric motor and a chuck mounted on the outer end of said drive shaft; a central support member comprising, a central straight shaft, one end of said shaft removably mounted in said chuck, three flexible spring members mounted on said shaft in radiating equidistantly spaced relationship one with the other, each of said members comprising a straight mid-segment abutting said shaft, outwardlyinclined segments integrally formed at each end of said mid-segment, and the outer end portions of said outwardly-inclined segments obliquely bent inwardly about a radius, the ends of said latter-mentioned segments spaced from said central shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 680,264 Mansfield Aug. 13, 1901 2,344,017 Ashpes Mar. 14, 1944 2,542,491 Engel Feb. 20, 1951 2,616,281 Calhoun Nov. 4, 1952 

